Tuesday, March 31, 2015

0

Al-Arabiya: Soldiers defect from Syria army at Mezzeh airport

Al-Arabiya television reported on Monday that Syrian soldiers defected from the army at the Mezzeh military airport near Damascus.

“The residents of Al-Aazamiya, near the Mezzeh airport, woke up to heavy gunfire coming from the airport where many soldiers defected from the [Syrian] army,” an activist told Al-Arabiya.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,200 people and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.

-NOW Lebanon

For live updates on the Syrian uprising, follow @NOW_Syria on Twitter or click here.